Grant Jones' Social Media Campaign Final

Social Media Campaign Final (Link to Facebook page)

Sink In has 719 views on Facebook

We All Fall has 411 views on Facebook 

My Facebook campaign was to promote my music that I've written and still perform. The main goal was to have people go to my Reverbnation account to see all of the songs posted there, as well as the videos. I wanted to gather a following to play some venues up in Salt Lake as well and in St. George, and the surrounding areas. The three personas I had previously wanted to attract to the page, have visited and liked the page, as well as navigated to the Reverbnation page. I also added a fourth persona, which was people who wanted to take photos and make music videos for me for free. I've had 4 offers of each already. 

I used Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, as well as Reverbnation for my Social Media Campaign Final. I feel like I've had marginal success, but it is a start. The average time for a band to make a name for themselves and gather a big enough following to tour nationwide is about ten years. Because of this campaign, I was able to schedule two shows for the summer. 

In total, I gained 106 likes on Facebook and 29 followers on Twitter. I also have a following of 304 on my Instagram. In total, 433 people are connected with my music in one way or another. In my opinion, since my music is somewhat slow, not really in line with the mainstream music we hear on Spotify getting millions of hits, I think this is just fine. Two of my videos have received quite a few views. One clocking in at 411, and the other at 719. I found that embedding the videos right into Facebook post gives you more plays. Creating a post that has a link to a Youtube video was not as successful for me. Photo posts didn't do as well, and neither did regular posts. I got a lot more likes on videos than with anything else. I wanted to try a video ad campaign, but I will wait until summer when I have a planned video shoot.

Fan Heat Map showing where listeners live

Reverbnation is interesting because it ranks you with other musicians. You can find out how you hold up in the local rankings, regional rankings, and national rankings, as well as how you hold up in your selected genre. It also breaks down who listened, where, and from what social platform. I have many of my listeners from Utah, primarily women from ages 18-24. There are listeners from all over the

Pie Chard showing which platform listeners use

nation, including New York and Texas, as well as 
California and Hawaii. It is a cool feeling to know that people from all over have been able to listen to my music. The majority of the listeners have been using Facebook to get to the Reverbnation website, to listen to these songs. 

Overall, I think I faired alright for just starting to promote my music. I've wanted to do this for a while but thought promoting it on social media wasn't a good option. Now that I know how to do it, it seems it has helped connect with people who I wouldn't have if I just continued to play these songs in my room by myself. I have two video shoots in the summer planned, two shows planned, as well as a photography shoot already done. 

If I could do this over, I would have had more content to share and spend more money on advertising. If I knew I was going to have this much success, I would have tried harder to get the songs done and put them on Spotify like originally planned. If I could really start over, I would have tried to connect with venues more than fans, to get more time in front of crowds.  

Band Equity Points
 Ranked 1 in local, 5 in regional, 193 in National

Fan break down on Reverbnation

Band Equity in the past 14 days 

How may plays and downloads I've had on songs

How many likes I've had on Facebook since the star

Well Informed: Privacy 2.0

Well Informed: Privacy 2.0

"Terms and Conditions" by Grant Jones

When there is a scrape on the knee, the nervous system will relay that information to the brain, and the brain processes that information and then responds by sending aid to heal that specific area of trauma. If the nervous system does not send that message to the brain, the brain cannot act to send aid. Here lies safety of the organism’s well-being. However, when a virus is introduced to the body, it can make the brain think the body is under attack via the nervous system, causing inflammation and pain. The body isn’t perfect, and neither is the internet.

The internet has indeed become a potential nervous system in world organism. It is vital for many reasons. The spreading of information, and increased speed of business of the global village. It can send messages to those places it connects with, having aid sent to countries who are pained with the lack of education or water, sending aid to warring countries. The information sent through the web can find murders and extremists who want to destroy the world organism and send messages for aid to eradicate them. The internet can also cause harm to the world organism by being restricted in the areas that need the most aid, or have false messages and fake news sent around the globe, which rallies the masses into self-destructive acts. Where does the cost-benefit ratio come to play? Is it more beneficial to insure privacy to protect our own actions and identities, or is it more beneficial to lay it all out for the world to see, so the messages can be sent for help or support? Well, either way, our privacy is already gone for the most part.

Our bank accounts and socials may be safely hidden to most, but not to all. Younger generations would think those two things are really the only things we need to stay private, while older generations expect more than that. Ron Swanson, from Parks and Recreation, tried to wipe his entire existence from governmental records, not even allowing them to see his address or date of birth. He wouldn’t even let an arcade game know his initials. In other words, he proactively went out of his way to withhold “private” information. He actively kept his identity his own, while the rest of us let ourselves agree to terms and conditions to social apps that we have never ever in the history of everything read from beginning to end. In fact, you could say that in making the terms and conditions so complex and lengthy, these companies are keeping private the information about us that they have access to, all while displaying it in the most legal way possible.

Our privacy is no longer ours. By tapping into everyone’s phone, Google Maps can tell what traffic condition are like. When buying things online via Amazon, we give up our search histories and interests. In the documentary, Terms, And Conditions, they point out that Gamestop had a clause in their terms and conditions agreement that allowed the company to own a person’s soul if they checked the “I Agree” box on their website. They owned about 9,000 souls in less than 24 hours. They gave the souls back, of course. In the documentary The United States of Secrets, we find out that the government has been hitching a ride on every cooky Google and other companies use. Whether this access is for stopping terrorism, or to view our information for personalized ads, your privacy is gone. Is it for the greater good? It really doesn’t matter. There are things we can do to hinder this penetration of unwanted persons or corporations, but for most of us, there are too many links within our network to be completely erased. It is too late to uncheck the “I agree” box.

Well Informed- Religion 3.0

Well Informed- Religion 3.0

It has been speculated that the Millennials haven’t taken to religion like previous generations. An article in the Huffington Post has said that “Millennials are much less interested in organized religion — and also less interested in spirituality in general.” The article goes on to say that the decline has been seen more in women than in men. An article from NPR suggests that the percentage of adults who are affiliated with a religion has gone down 8 percentage point, dropping to 77 percent.

A correlation can be made here. As time goes on, technology has brought us access to more information, and that information has brought men and women alike to a find their own opinions about religions and their histories, claims, and cultures. Another point could be that people are shifting from devoting their time to finding love for a divine entity or finding truth in another person, to devoting their time to finding themselves.

An article in the Washington Post claims that “cooler bands, hipper worship, and edgier programming" in churches has backfired, causing people to leave those churches. The article goes on to claim that terms such as “market share” and “re-branding strategies” can be found in church staff meetings, making the whole thing seem like a business instead of a place to go and find peace and serenity. They also talk about a study that says that 67 percent of millennials prefer the "classic church" vibe over a "trendy" church vibe. These findings are parallel to how people are reacting to companies that are putting their ads in Snapchat stories or in the middle of viral videos.

When a place of worship is viewed as a business, people consider places of worship as inauthentic. People can be entertained wherever they please via phones or tablets, and many don’t think a church is about entertainment, but rather a place for truth and deep contemplation. Whether church houses are businesses or not, what they are selling or what they are preaching needs to be authentic and time-tested. It is the same reason why so many people flipped their lid when Coke changed their formula. Authentic continuity is a thing that people need. Old formula Coke.

People feel broken at one time or another in their lives. There are certain places they go or certain things they do to cope with being broken. Finding a place to turn inward is still something many people need in their lives, and as generations are being brought up, people are starting to realize that it does not have to be in a church house. Forums have been well rooted in these types of conversations, and blogs formed, and even Facebook can set the tone for this sort of mindset of inward reflection. (Though not everyone agrees with this point.)

People are now realizing that the production value of a church sermon is not the key here, and neither is streamlined worship on an app. Authenticity, self-evaluation, self forgiveness, and self esteem are being discovered, and preached in a sense, by people who do not affiliate themselves with a religious sect. The truth we are looking for is coming from sources other than holy books and sermons.

Amen

OTM April 20th

On The Media April 20th

In this episode, after talking about magnets and tote bags, Brooke and Glenn talk about Bill O’Reilly’s sexual harassment scandal, and his show being canceled. Bill O’Reilly’s show was one of Fox News’ most famous shows, and now he has been pushed off air, with $25 million. Fox claims is was not a moral problem, but a financial one. Advertising was dropping and contracts were on thin ice. The audience was really not a factor in the decision they claim. Fox is the second most lucrative company on the cable network. They talk about how it doesn't the Bill O’Reilly story, it’s really about how Fox’s direction is shifting. They go on to say that Fox News was responsible to pumping right-wing conspiracy theories in the homes of over One Hundred Million homes for over twenty years, making it responsible for someone like Trump to have a fighting chance to be president of the US.

The next portion of the episode talks about North Korea and the empty threats thrown on either side. While talking about Trump attacking the Middle East two times in the past two weeks, they compare Trump to the Kim Jong Un, being both erratic and hotheaded. The costs and benefits between attacking North Korea aren't lucrative enough for the Trump administration to make a move quite yet. It is too risky to attack because the Trump administration know they can attack us back in a rather successful manner. Although, they come to say that North Korea could not afford such a war, for they would run out of resources. They talk about how we as Americans do not pay attention to things until they become heated up by the media.

They come to China next, how their officials have had a hard time trying to respond to the two wildcards: Trump and Kim Jong Un. The people who live in China are harder to scare than those who live in America, due to the fact that China has had it a lot harder than Americans, where the people in China grew up hungry at times, and Americans have been in a situation where luxury has afforded them this sort of fear from North Korea. They go on talking about Trump, and how he does not understand the World, and how Trump fever and Ivanka fever has brought the Chinese to find more similarities to themselves. They go on to compare Trump and Nixon, claiming both are using the Madman Theory, being erratic and unpredictable, causing uncertainty in the minds Russians, Chinese, and North Koreans. Throwing the steering wheel out of his window, forcing everyone to act rationally knowing that Trump cannot act rationally.

This has been an interesting episode, finding out that Fox is losing its hold in the media, and that Trump has such a hold on other countries such as China and North Korea. Trump has definitely made a huge impact on not following the rules of the game that the countries of the world. What will Trump do when his bluff is called?

OTM April 27th

On The Media: April 27th

This On The Media episode calls out all of the “scammy” things that Donald Trump has done in his adult life, such as five of his companies times declaring bankruptcy, the downfall of the United State Football League, and also the blunders of his first 100 days in the White House. They talk about how he loses and claims his losses and victories and moves on as quickly as possible. He claims that his Tajima Hal casino was so successful that the machines blew up, even though the reality of the situation was that the casino was just opened too early. In his first 100 days in office, he has failed to change the medical plan for the nation, a declined travel ban, and his continuous war with the media. The next portion is with George and he talks about how Trump shelved Wall down payment of 1 billion dollars, as well as his tax plan, and how the media has been phrasing the tax reformation incorrectly. The issue is framed as a personal budget but o a mass scale. The tax reformation that Donald Trump has been claimed to make the rich richer and the poor poorer. However, “tax reformation,” he says is not a good way to phrase it.

They go back to the Wall situation, talking to Cindy, and how Trump states shelving the wall idea was a strategic idea. They talk about how fencing has been up since 2006. They talk about the terrain which is almost too rough to cross, so there is no need to build a fence there, and the places where there are fences established, have actually made the migration go eastward. The people who try to cross are being smuggled and this method is raising the danger for citizens and noncitizens alike. They go on stating that most undocumented people come onto the country with legal work visas via planes, and overstay their time here. The heated debate over the wall almost shut down the government.

As a citizen, maybe building a wall will help somewhat to help our psyche, like locking our front doors and windows at night, but if people really wanted to come into our homes, they will find a way. Cindy claims the wall “is a distraction to the real problems,” and I would have to agree.   

Facebook Add Campaign

Reverbnation Ad
I was curious to see what an add would do on my page, so I made one earlier in the semester. It didn't really do that well. It might be because I only paid $5 for it, or it could just be that it was a boring ad that didn't draw anyone's attention. I decided to make a new one, using a different picture and being more direct. The picture was taken by Skye, who is in our class. She kills it at photography. If any one is reading this and you are in need of pictures, go to her. My music is a bit sad and slow. Mostly soft sounds. I made "Soft Sounds" the quick description headline for the ad, and gave a call to action to play the songs on the Reverbnation website.





Youtube Video Ad

Juniper is by far the most popular song I've written. I want to get more plays on my Youtube account, so I made an Ad for that as well. I originally was going to make an ad with the video embedded as the ad, but it took too long to upload. This works better. Again, I am trying to reach more people around Utah to build a fanbase that can go to the shows I plan on playing. According to the data my page ha gathered, more girls from the ages 16-30 are visiting my page. Again, I put a call to action to click the ad to take them to Youtube.



Show Ad

I am playing a show on May 19th at Jazzy's, and I wanted to promote it. This one would target a more specific audience. Fellow students from DSU who often go to Jazzy's would be a good target. I also have a number of friends from Salt Lake County who are also promoting this show for me.

Surf's Up: Going With the Flow While Carving Your Own Path

Before you can surf, you need to study how the water moves. Since you cannot control how the waves will act, you must learn how to work with them in order to surf. You need to be able to identify when the wave will swell and when it will crash. At first, you might not see a wave’s potential until it is too late. The water might swallow you up and spit you out, or you have to dive underneath it, letting it pass over you.

You need to know the flow of it. Once you know the flow, you can just go with it. Each wave is an opportunity. With practice, you will know which waves to ride, how to ride them, and which waves to pass up. These waves can be intimidating, but putting trust in yourself can help you ride waves you never thought you could.

You will realize the potential that each wave has to either carry you to shore or swallow you up and spin you around. You cannot control which waves will come, but you are in control of which ones you’ll ride.

Surfing is a great metaphor for life, as it explains how to go with the flow while also carving your own path.

The flow of life unfolds right in front of us. New moments full of potential are always on the horizon, and it is up to us to grasp them and let them take us to where we want to go. At this point in our lives, we have started to develop skill sets that can take us places. We can apply for internships or graduate school, acquire career-building jobs or start our own businesses.

Even though we may have the potential to seize opportunities such as these, we cannot force them to happen.

We cannot force hiring managers to give us our dream jobs, neither can we force someone to buy our custom-made T-shirts. However, if we continue to work for things we want, we will get there. The more effort we put in, the more we can get out of it.

Every opportunity we take makes us better. There will be times when we will fail or crash, and even those situations are opportunities we can learn from. Whether you are in the ocean or on the beach, the waves will always come. The opportunities to get where you want to go will be there. You decide to get out there and take them. Some opportunities will seem intimidating, but we must believe we can succeed.

Look for the potential waves on the horizon. Learn what to look for, and how to ride them. Put yourself out there, hunt for opportunities, and take them. Send emails or go out in person to the companies or places you want to work. Study how others did it, and see what worked for them.

Be open to alternative ways to get there and be brave. With every opportunity seized, the amount of experience increases. When things don't work out, always see a failure as a learning opportunity, get back on the board and try again. The ocean of life may be intimidating, but it will always take you where you want to go if you are willing to put in the work.